Looming Shadow
by fmd-jade
Summary: How *did* Tony handle things after Gibbs quit? A little one-shot. Slightly established TIVA


**While thinking of how to continue 'Worlds apart' I thought of this little something. Just a one-shot, but I hope you like it none the less. I was a bit tired while working on this and grew more tired and more tired, so if severe grammatic mistakes heap up towards the end, I'm sorry...**

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_Set in the months were Gibbs was… __*taking his sabbatical* in Mexico_

Tony strolled through the elevator doors leisurely singing some random tune horribly off-key.

"Good morning, Probie." He greeted McGee as he passed his old desk.

"Morning, Boss." McGee muttered sub-dued.

Tony put his coffee on his desk and lowered his backpack to the ground before turning around again with a frown on his face.

"What's up, Elf Lord? Has Azeroth increased their taxes for Elf Lord wands and cauldrons?"

McGee leaned back in his chair. "Didn't know you were into 'Warcraft', Tony!?"

"I'm not. But you remember Trisha?"

McGee frowned. "The college girl from last year?"

"Yeah. The one with the-"

"Non-existent brain functions?" Ziva supplied from the way to he second elevator. Tony turned around to face her, smiling.

"No, Zeevah, that was actually the guy you dated last weekend." He sneered. Ziva just made a face at him while moving over to her desk.

"Oh Tony, by the way, there's someone here to see you. He's waiting in the break room."

Tony rolled his head on his shoulders in McGee's direction.

"Really, McReliable? And the reason you didn't mention this before I had to face our humourless ninja chick?" Ziva promptly swatted him on the arm for this.

"I forgot, okay?! I had a rough night."

"Ooh… Probie was probing last night... ", *smack*, Ziva swatted him again. "Okay, let's see. Who is he? Do I know him? Is he FBI?"

"Some teenager, I don't know and no, he's not FBI." Tim grinned smugly, before tentatively adding "He actually came here looking for Gibbs."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. Gibbs. That was still a sore spot for him and he knew the others avoided talking about him when he was near.

Wordlessly Tony made his way over to the break room, leaving McGee and Ziva behind at their desks, feeling Ziva's eyes burning into his back.

When he opened the door to the break room, he saw the kid sitting at a table, looking absolutely lost. He couldn't be more than twelve or thirteen years old. And although his clothes indicated a great amount of self-confidence and cockiness not unlike Tony's, he seemed rather shy and timid. Tony also noticed some slip of paper the boy seemed to hold on to for dear life.

He walked over to him, but waved him down as he hurriedly tried to get up. Instead he took a seat next to him.

"Hi. I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. You can just call me Tony if you want."

"Hi. My name is Jack. Actually I wanted to see Special Agent Gibbs?!" He said cautiously.

"Yeah, I know. But Agent Gibbs is not with NCIS anymore. But if you tell me what's up, maybe I can help you." Tony suggested. Inwardly he cringed. As much as he tried, kids just didn't like him, let alone teenagers. He just hoped this time might be different.

"Actually, I'm not so sure it was the right thing to come here. Are you positive I can't talk to Agent Gibbs?"

Tony gave him what he hoped was an encouraging look. "Agent Gibbs really isn't here at the moment. But if you'd be willing to tell me, I'll try and help you with whatever it is."

The teen look down at the paper clasped in his hand, before laying it down on the table. It was a NCIS business card. Gibbs' NCIS business card to be exact.

"I met Agent Gibbs a few years ago, when he investigated the murder of my mother. And…and he gave me his card and told me to come to him if I… if I ever needed anything. I know it sounds stupid now, it's been years after all, but I just thought… I don't know what I thought. I mean I was 7 years old. Agent Gibbs seemed like superman to me. And I still have that naïve feeling I got when I first met him. As if he could truly make everything better. God, I feel like such an idiot…" , Jack moved his hand through his hair.

"Don't say that. It's not naïve. I know that feeling.", Tony quietly admitted. He took Gibbs' business card into his hands and studied it for a moment, before looking at Jack with a determined stare.

"Now tell me what's wrong."

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Ziva couldn't keep her eyes from Tony's empty desk while tapping her mug with her pencil.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

"Ziva!" Her head shot up to meet McGee's indignant glare. "Could you *stop* that, please?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry." She focused on the files in front of her again, but it was not long until her eyes drifted towards the desk to her left again.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap

"Ziva!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tim."

"Are you okay?"

"Actually-" She abruptly stopped as she spotted Tony marching their way and looked at him expectantly. On his heels was the teenager McGee had been telling her about. Long blond hair reaching to his ears, the pony combed out of his face, polo shirt, dark washed jeans, leather bracelets and blue chucks. Typical. But his face held a seriousness Ziva didn't often see in American teens. His look was intrigued and his jaw set. Had he had short hair, he'd looked a lot like Tony.

McGee and Ziva could only watch as Tony stalked over to his desk and grabbed his gear, including gun and badge, before tossing McGee a slip of paper.

"Check that license plate number for me. Call me, immediately, Probie!"

And just as quickly as he had come seconds before did he make his way over to the elevator, steering the kid next to him with a hand on his shoulder.

Ziva shot McGee a quick glance, noting his equally dumbfounded look, before making a quick decision.

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The elevator doors had almost closed when a petite hand was shoved between them, forcing them to glide open once more. Tony looked at the sight before him annoyed, as Ziva stepped into the enclosed space with him and Jack.

"What do you think you're doing, David?"

Ziva posted herself directly in front of her partner, facing him. "I am coming with you, yes?" She said with a small smile on her lips.

Jack could only watch the two adults stare at each other in an unspoken argument. Their gazes were so intent on each other that he wished he was somewhere else. But at the same time it was like watching an accident. You know you should look somewhere else but you can't keep watching.

It seemed to be settled though when Ziva silently stated, "You are not Gibbs. And I am coming with you." Tony seemed to accept that.

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It was more than twelve hours later when Toy turned off the ignition outside Ziva's apartment complex. He sighed deeply before exiting the car and making his way to her door. It didn't take her more than a minute to open up after he'd knocked. Upon seeing him she opened the door further to let him in, but didn't move out of he doorway so he had to brush his body against hers as he entered her apartment.

She silently closed the door behind him.

Without stepping further into her living room they stood facing each other again, not unlike hours earlier in the elevator.

But Tony didn't waste any time. He leaned his face down to hers, their mouths just millimetres apart and with a last longing look into each other's eyes, their lips met in a tender and tired kiss. His lips dragged over hers, his tongue splaying over her lower lip, teasing lazily. His hands, normally roaming her body, were planted at her hips, drawing her as near as possible while her hands were entangled in his hair, holding his head in place. Together they tried making their way over to her couch, but when Ziva bumped into the door jamb, they broke apart reluctantly, smiling at each other. Tony's hand moved up to her face and his thumb caressed her cheek.

"I'm proud of you", Ziva whispered, as not to break the mood. She had long contemplated telling him that but decided someone had to tell him, because Gibbs was not around to do it. She knew her reassurance came nowhere near a praise from Gibbs but she just had to tell him. She knew today had been hard on him. Constantly being reminded of his revered mentor while constantly being reminded of his absence. As much as Tony enjoyed being team leader she knew he missed Gibbs. In the first weeks he'd tried to be a second Gibbs, more to guide himself than the others, but over time he outgrew himself and became the leader Ziva knew he could be.

Tony took her hand in his and lead her over to the couch. He sat down while Ziva stood in front of him, her hands running over his scalp. His head rested against her stomach for a moment before he took her hands and pulled her down, so she was half sitting in his lap, half sitting on the sofa.

"Why did you do it?" She softly asked and he understood. Why had he helped Jack find his father? Why had he risked his job by going behind an on-going NCIS investigation? Why had he risked losing his credibility by questioning the decisions of a senior agent?

Tony captured her hand that was caressing his chest in his, capturing her eyes in an intense look.

And in that moment Ziva knew the answer even before Tony spoke the words.

"It's what Gibbs would have done."

It was as simple as that.

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I know it's just a one-shot, but reviews do make my day...


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